Signal for automatic vehicle overdrive



March 31,1953 w. PILGRAM, JR 2,633,563

SIGNAL FOR AUTOMATIC VEHICLE OVERDRIVE Filed Jan. 12, 195i INVENTOR. WALTER, P ILGQAMAR.

ATTO 2N EYS Patented Mar. 31, 1953 SIGNAL FOR AUTOMATIC VEIHCLE OVERDRIVE Walter Pilgrain, Jr., Long Mott, Tex. Application January 12, 1951, Serial No. 205,631

This invention relates to signals for automotive vehicle overdrives and more particularly to a signal adapted to be mounted in a vehicle for observation by the vehicle driver to indicatean operating condition of a vehicle equipped with automatic overdrive in which the overdrive is 3 Claims. (01. 340-52) not in operation and the speed" of the vehicle 7 is such that the overdrive would function if put into operation.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a signal system for an automotive vehicle equipped with automatic overdrive which provides a signal device, such as a signal lamp,

mounted on the vehicle for observation by the vehicle driver and means connecting the signal device to the overdrive mechanism, so that the signal device will be energized when the overdrive mechanism is held out of operation and the speed of the vehicle and other conditions are such that the overdrive would function if put into operation, to warn the driver that the overdrive is not in use at a time when it could be in use to increase the operating efficiency of the vehicle and in which the signal; device is deenergized at all other times; which can be mounted on the vehicle and connected to the overdrive mechanism with no material modificatem is in operation; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and easy to install, and reliable in operation;

Other objects and advantages will become-apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims-in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein the single figure is a diagrammatic illustration of an automatic vehicle overdrive mechanism with a signal device illustrative of the invention operatively connected thereto.

With continued reference to the drawing, the overdrive mechanism is illustrated with various associated parts of the vehicle on which it is installed, such parts including the vehicle ignition coil- ID having two primary terminals H- and I2 and a secondary terminal I3, a vehicle ignition distributor [4 having a primary terminal l5connected to the primary terminal I l of the coil by a, conductor 16 and a secondaryor high tension terminal I! connected to the secondary terminal I3 of the coil by a conductor 18. The vehicle indicated at 32;

parts further include an ignition switch 19 having three terminals 2%, 2| and 22 of which the terminal 22 is connected to the primary terminal 12 of the ignition coil It by a conductor 23. The terminal 20 of the ignition switch is connected by a conductor 24 to one terminal of a fuel gauge and ammeter combination 25, and the other terminal of the combination 25 is connected through a conductor 26 to the terminal 2| of the ignition switch.- An engine starter relay switch 21 has one main terminal 28 connected through a conductor 29 with the vehicle battery 3i!v and a conductor 3| leads from the starter relay switch terminal 28 to the ammeter and gasoline gauge combination 25, so that when the ignition switch 19 is closed current will flow from the battery through the conductor 29 to the starter relay switch terminal 28, from this terminal 28 through the conductor 3| to one side of the ammeter, from the other side of the ammeter through the conductor 26 to the ignition switch and from the ignition switch through the conductor 23 to oneside of the ignition coil 10. From the ignition coil lo the current flows through the conductor It to the terminal [5, one

side of which is "connected to the make and break points of the distributor M, the other side of these make and break points being grounded, 'as

The high voltage current enerated by the coil Ii) is conducted from the coil to the distributor through the conductor Band from the distributor to the engine spark plugs The vehicle change speed transmission is indicated at 33 and has the-usual selectively eng'ag'ea'blagears shiftable by the shift arms 34 .and by. a hand operated lever, not illustrated, -mounted at a location convenient to the vehicle driver; and the numeral 36 indicates the front end of the change speed transmission by suitable means, suchv as the bolts 49 extending through 'apertu'red flanges on the transmission housing and the overdrive housing 39 and the output shaft 41 of the'change speed transmission is extended into the overdrive housing 39. An overdrive output shaft extends through the rear- 'tive to the sun ear. planetary gear unit and provides a direct drive through the overdrive mechanism with no overdrive or speed .increasing'function and no overrunning.

speeds below the cut-in speed of the over-drive mechanism.

A planetary gear train, generally indicated at 45, is also connected between the shafts 4| and 42 in series with the one-way clutch 43 and in:

cludes an outer ring gear 46 drivingly connected to the shaft 42 throughthe outer housing or race of the one-way clutch 43, an inner sun gear 41 slidably and rotatably mountedon the shaft 4|. a planetary gear cagev 48 connected to the transmission output shaft 4|, and planetary gears 49 carried by the cage 48 and meshing with the I ring gear 46 and sun gear 4]. I

A disc 50 is slidably, but non-rotatably connected to the sun gear 41 and is provided with one -or morev peripheral notches and a locking dog is slidably mounted in the housing 39 for movement toward and away from the disc 58. When this locking dog is engaged in a notch in the disc, it holds the disc and the sun gear 41 against rotation and under these conditions the drive is from the shaft 4| through the planetary cage 48 to the planet gears and these gears, rotating around the fixed sun. gear 4?, drive the ring gear 4t at a speed higher than the rotational speed of: the transmission output shaft 4|, the

overdrive mechanism being then in operation.

A collar 52 is mounted on the sun gear and "has a peripheral groove into which a fork 53 proprovided in the front end. 54 of the planetary gear cage to lock this cage against rotation rela- This looks up the entire The locking'dog 5| isoper-ated by a. solenoid,

generally indicated at'55, having an armature 56 connected to the dog 5!, an operating coil 51 and a;

a holdin coil 58. When the operating coil 51 in the disc 50, this actuating coil 5|.is de-ener- -giz'ed as soon as the locking dog has been moved into engagement in the notch in the disc.

This

plate 50. When the speed of the vehicle reaches that at which the overdrive mechanism should become operative, the balk ring still holds the detent out of engagement with the gear plate to avoid damage to the mechanism by suddenly stopping the gear plate while power is being transmitted through the overdrive mechanism.

In order for the pawl to engage the gear plate and put the overdrive mechanism into operation, it is necessary for the vehicle operator to permit the engine throttle to partly close for a brief interval, thereby momentarily reducing the transmitted power until the shaft 42 starts to overrun the shaft 4|. The ring gear 46 now overrunning the. sun gear 41 rotates the pinions 49 because of the connection of pinion cage 48 to the slower moving shaft 4| and rotates sun gear 41 and gear plate in a reverse direction until balk ring 44 is moved out-of engagement. with 20.-

pawl 51 and the pawl is then moved by solenoid into engagement with gear plate 50. Upon resumption of power, the vehicle will now be in overdrive. 1

Simultaneously with. the opening of the switch 59 the movement of thesolenoid armature-5S causes a ground switch 6| to close for a purpose which will presently appear. A governor, generally indicated at B2, is mounted on the housing 39. and the output shaft 42 of the overdrive mechanism is drivingly connected. to this governor. The governor includes an. electric switch 63, one side of which is grounded. as indicated at 64. V

Alock-out shifter rail 65 extends longitudinally of the housing 39 substantially parallel to. the shafts 4| and 42 which are coaxial with ea other, and is slidably mounted in the housing.

' A cam shaft 66 is rotatably mounted in the housing 39 substantially perpendicular to the rail. 65 and has at. one end a cam which engages in a notch in the rail 65 to move therail B5 longitudinal-1y. upon rotationoi the shaft 66. An actuating lever 61 is mounted on the cam shaft 66 65 is moved to its lock-out position and holds. the

dog against engagement in the notch of the-disc .50. The fork 5e15, also mounted on the mi 65 leaves the holdin coil 58 energized, since this 'coil is independently grounded, as indicated at 60,

A balk ring 44 is rotatably mounted on drive shaft at one side of the gear plate 50 and is 5 a .in frictional engagement with one side of the gear plate. When thevehicle carrying the over- "drive mechanism is operating at a speed below that at which the overdrive can go into operation, the balk ring is turned into engagement 1?;

with the lockin dog or pawl 5| and is effective and is efiective to move the sun gear to lock up the planetary gear. unit of-the .anism. as explained above, when the rail 65 is overdrive mechmoved'to its lock-up-position.-- 5- A switch 69 is mounted on the housingts at one-endof the rail 65 and is closed when the rail 65- is in position for operation of the overdrive ,mechanism and is opened when the'shaft 65 in :itsposition locking the overdrive mechanism out of operation- In addition to the manually operated arm :6?! for locking the overdrive including the freewheeling clutch 43 out of operation, there is a connection in the vehicle transmission 33 be tween the reverse drive connecting mechanism and the rail 65 which looks the overdrive moch anism out of; operation whenever the vehicle transmission is placed in reverse gear. a

- A main overdrive control relay, generally indicated at 10, is provided and includes a normally open switch 1| and an electromagnet '12 which closes the switch II when the electromagnet is energized. This relay switch has four terminals, as indicated at 13, 14, and 18, of which the terminal 13 is connected to one side of the normally open switch TI and the terminal 15 is connected to the other side of this switch The terminal 13,;is connected through a conductor; 11 with the battery connected terminal 28 of the i starter relay switch 21 and the terminal 15 is connected through a conductor 18 with the bat tery terminal of the solenoid 55, so that, whenl' the normally open switch H is closed the solenoid will be energized for putting the overdrive into operation. The switch H is not closed, however,

unless the electromagnet I2 is energized.

' The terminal 76 is connected to one side of the electromagnet 12 and this terminal is connected through a conductor 19 with the battery lead 3|.

at the ammetei' 25, so that electrical energy from the battery 30 is available at all times at the ter-'v minal 18. The terminal 14 is connected to the;

other side otthe relay magnet 12 and this ter-J mechanism isin released condition, so that the;

switch 68 is closed, and the overdrive mechanism is conditionedto function, if the governor closes the switch 63, 'a ground contact will be estab-" lished from the terminal I4 on the main overs drive relay Ill through the conductor 19, the. kick-down switch 80, the conductor 8|, thelock-out actuated switch 58 and the governoractuated switch 63, and the electromagnet' 12- will then be energized to close the switch H and energize the solenoid 55 to place the overdrive mechanism in operation as soon as the vehicle operator interrupts the power to free the dog 5| from the balkring 44. i If the overdrive mechanism is locked out manual movement of the lock out arm 61 and. lock out rail 65,the switch 69 will be opened and it will not be then possible to establish an ener gizing circuit for the electromagnet 12 to close the switch 'H and the solenoid cannot then be energized to stop the disc 50.

, When the solenoid is in operating condition, it may become necessary to temporarily discontinue the overdrivein' order to accelerate the vehicle rapidly, even though it is already traveling at a speed at which the overdrive is rendered -eifec'- tive. The kick-down switch 80 is provided for this purpose and has four terminals 84, '85, 8,6 and 81 of which the terminals 84 and 85 are con; nected to the conductors l9 and 8| respectively, and are normally connected by the switch 8 0; The terminal 86 is connected by a conductor 88 to the distributor terminal [5 and the terminal 81 is connected by a conductor 89 to the terminal of the ground switch 6! actuated by the arma ture of the solenoid 55. The kick-down switch 80 is disposed directly below the accelerator pedal of the vehicle or connected to the vehicle throttle in a manner such that when the throttle is fully opened, this switch will be operated to dis: connect the terminals 84 and 85 and connect the terminals 85 and 81. When the terminals 84 and 85 are disconnected the electromagnet lz of the main overdrive relay 10 is de-energized, permit: ting the switch H to open and this de-energizes the solenoid 55. The solenoid has a compression spring acting against the solenoid coils 51 and 58 to mov the dog 5| outof engagement with r the disc 50 when the solenoid coils are de-energized. However, with power being transmitted through the overdrive, the dog cannot be released from the disc unless the power is temporarily discontinued. As soon as the "kick-down switch interconnects the terminals 86 and 81 the ignition distributor terminal I5 is grounded, interruptingthe ignition of the vehicle engine, this grounding taking place through the ground switch 6! in the solenoid 55'. This interruption of the engine power releases the dog 5| from the plate 50 and the solenoid spring immediately moves the solenoid armature to a position to remove the dog 5| from the plate 50 and open the ground switch 6! whereupon the overdrive is put o'ut'of operation, driving through the one-way clutch 43 instead of through the planetary gear assembly, and the ground switch 6| is opened, so that the operation of the vehicle engine is resumed. Operation of the overdrive will not be resumed until the engine throttle is closed sufficiently to permit the kick-down switch to reconnect the terminals 84 and 85, and the vehicle to overrun the engine suiiiciently' to move the balk ring 44 out of engagement with the pawl 5|.

As the construction and operation of automatic overdrives for automotive vehicles are well known to the art, and as overdrive and its electric system constitutes no part of the present invention except in the combination thereof with the novel signal means, the diagrammatic illustrationon the accompanying drawing and the above brief description is considered sumcient for'the purposes of the present disclosure.

With the above described arrangement, it may happen that the vehicle operator fails to interrupt the engine power sufficiently to release the pawl from the balk ring and permit the overdrive to go into operation under driving condi-' tions at which it could be used to advantage. The present invention provides a signal, prefere ably in the form of a lamp, which is clearly visible to the driver, which advises the driver when the overdrive mechanism is precluded from operation under driving conditions where it could be used to advantage. Inaccordance with the present invention, a signal lamp 9|] is mounted on some convenient support in the vehicle, as on the vehicle instruinent panel, and is provided with two terminals 9| and 92, the terminal 92 being aground connection, as indicated at 180. A relay switch,gen erally indicated at 93 is also provided and mounted in some convenient location on the vehicle. This signal relay includes a normally closed'switch 94 and an electromagnet 95 which is effective to open the normally closed switch 94 when the electromagnet is energized.

A conductor 96 connects one side of the switch 84 to one side of the coil of the electromagnet 95, and a conductor 98 connects conductor 96 with the solenoid terminal 15 of the overdrive relay 58. The other side of the switch 94 is connected through a conductor 91 with the lamp terminal! and the other side of the coil of the electromagnet 95 is connected through a conductor 99 with the terminal of the ground switch 6| of the solenoid 55. With this arrangement, if the governor switch has been closed incident to a vehicle speed suflicient for the overdrive to cut in, and the main overdrive relay switch has been closed and the solenoid energized, but the overdrive is held out.

smas es or operation by: engagement or tneballc ring with the; gear plate looking: new], current at. the sole noid. terminal of. the: main relay will flow through conductor 9.9;, signal. relay switch. 94.. conductor 91 and. lamp smto ground; connection: i011 illumi+ Hating the; lamp. As ground switch 61- is now. held; open by solenoid 55,. signal relay magnet 95. not: be energized and switch. 94. willibei closed Whentheoperator interrupts the. power to; put the. overdrive into operation, ground switch Bl. closes: and energizes relay signal magnet 9.5, opening; relay switch 94. and. extinguishing the signal 131 111..

If. the: vehicle has, been operating in overdrive and has been slowed down. and subsequently broughtup to overdrive speed, if the slowing. down WfiSgSlIffiCiEl'lt. to discontinue the overdrive; whenspeed. is resumed the signal. lamp: will be illuminated indicating to. the operator that.- the vehicleis not operating in overdrive, although driving conditions. are suitable. and-that it is nee-- essaryto interrupt the power to return. to over-- drive. a After the. kick-down switch has; been. operat cd-tot discontinue; the overdrive operation and op.- era-tion at less than full power, but ata speed for. overdrive operation is resumed, if the power' has not..- been: sufl'iciently reduced. to permit the overdrive; to cut in, the signal lampwill be illuminated. and the operator accordingly advised. that to resume overdrive he; must. temporarily interrupt the power.

u The signal assembly of thepresentv inventionmay be provided in. kit formincluding the.- signal lamp; 9.0,, the relay switch 93, and the conductors 96, 91, 98 and 99;, of which the. conductors 9B and 98- may be: combined, it desired, and this signal assembly can bemounted. on the vehicle and con.- nected. into the electric system. of. the overdrive tooperate in the manner described. above, with a, minimumj amount of. work, and. Without any necessary modification. of the. constructionof. the vehicle or the overdrivemechanismor itselectric system.

The invention may be embodied. in other spe cific forms without; departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics, thereof. The.- present embodiment is, therefore, to be. considercdin all respects: as; illustrative and. not. restrictive, the scope-oi the-invention. being indicated by the. appended claims: rather than. by the; foregoing description, and all changes which come within. thev meaning and. range; of equivalency of the claims; are, therefore, intended. to be embraced.

therein. a 7

*1 claim; 7

1'.. In; combination with a vehicle automatic. overdrive mechanism. including an overdrive. re-" lay {connected to the. vehicle electric system and having a. solenoidterm-inal-,. an overdrive controlling. solenoid connected to said. solenoid terminal and having a grounding. switch which. is. closed only" when the overdrive mechanism is in opera.- tion, and: means rendering: said solenoidinefiiective tojplace' said overdrive mechanism in operation except during an. interruption. of; power transmitted th erethrough', signal means: for indi:-- eatinga: vehicle. operating conditionin which the vehicle. speed is suflicient for use oi the. overdrive mechanism but the overdrive mechanism is held out ofoperation comprisinga signal device adapted? totbe; mounted on. and: grounded at. oneisideto thevehi'cle. for observation by the vehicle; driver, a signal; relay switch including a; normally closed switch and an electromagnet which holds. said:

normally closed; switch openjwheni saidelectro magnetic energized, afirsti conductor connecting: the other side, of said. signal device to one; sideofi said normally closed switch, a second conductor connecting the other side of said normally closed. switch and one. side of said. electromagnet to-"the' solenoid terminal of said overdrive relay switch to energize said signal device. when said solenoid terminal is energized, and a third conductor con-' meeting the other side of said signal. relay electromagnet to the ungrounded side; of. said solenoid grounding-switch to thereby energize said electtromagnet. and open said normally closed switch tov ole-energize said signal device. when said solenoid functions to place the overdrive mechanism. in operation.

2. In combination with a. vehicle; electricsystem grounded at. one.- side, an overdrive electric system grounded at one side and. including, a solenoid. for placing the overdrive in operation; an overdrive relay connected. to said vehicle. electric. system and. having a. solenoid terminal. connected to said. solenoid, and a. grounding switch operated bysaid solenoid: and closed when said solenoid operatesv to place; the overdrive in op.- eration, and means. precluding operationor said solenoid except when the power transmitted through. the overdrive is reduced, signal means comprising a signal device grounded at oneside, a signal. relay including a normally'closed switch and an. electromagnet efiective to. open saidznormally closed-switch. when energized. a conductor connecting: the. other side of said signal device to one side of the signal relay switch, conductor means connecting thev other side of said signal relay switch. and one side of said signal relay electromagnet. to the solenoid terminal of: said overdrive relay for; energizing said signal. device. whenever said solenoid terminal isenergized, and a. conductor connecting the.- other side of said signal relay electromagnetto said grounding switch to energize said electromagnet and de-energize said; signal device by opening said normally closed signal relay switchwhen said grounding switch. is closed incident to operation. of the overdrive. v

3. In combination with a vehicle electric. system. and an overdrive relay;system energized by said vehicle electric system only when-.- the speed of the. associated vehicle is suitable for overdrive, a signal electric system including a signal device grounded. at one side, firstmeans connecting. the other sidefof. said; signal. device to said overdrive electric. system .ior energizing said. sig

nal devicewhen said. overdrive.- electric.. system-isenergized, a relay switch in said first. mean-s closed whenungrounded and open when ground.- ed, and second means grounded at one side and connectedat. its other side. to said relay switch.

WALTER P-ILGRAM, J R. V

REFERENCES: CITED The following references are of record in file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number. Name. Date 2,187,831 Lange Jan. 23, 1940, 2,214,100: Claytor Sept. 10,1949

the 

